'Go gays!': Why USA's LGBTQ World Cup stars are more important than ever | USA women's football team | The Guardian

Contents:

• A GAY GIRL’S GUI TO THE 2023 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
• 'GO GAYS!': WHY USA'S LGBTQ WORLD CUP STARS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

A GAY GIRL’S GUI TO THE 2023 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

"Navratilova, a trailblazer for gay rights, tweeted a one-word rponse: "Yik...

Several players on this team are openly gay, as has been the se wh recent World Cup and Olympic teams. "We have gay people. There are three gay players and three others who beme mothers sce the last World there’s teenage forward Alyssa Thompson, who is a ltle b of everythg, wh Black, Filipa, Pevian and Italian ’s a team that fally looks like the untry reprents.

This summer’s team clus three gay players — Kelley O’Hara, Kristie Mewis and Rapoe — at a time when more anti-LBGTQ+ bills have been adopted state legislatur than any year on are women who were born to immigrant parents playg for a naturalized-cizen ach, Vlatko Andonovski, at a time when the Department of Jtice lls whe natnalism a grave domtic threat and terms such as “cln” and “reprentatn” have bee targets of srn. It will be a glor month to be a gay fan.

'GO GAYS!': WHY USA'S LGBTQ WORLD CUP STARS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

Last time at the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the Netherlands lay claim to the honor of beg the team wh the most out LGBTQ players, but this year Atralia boasts 10 out players and overtak them for the tle of Gayt Team 2k23. Ireland’s historic entry to the tournament marks another triumph for out midfielr Sead Farrelly, whose natnal team but and 2023 return to the NWSL e more than six years after retirg om soccer the wake of systemic homophobic and sexual abe wh the league, which the Athletic first reported on 2021. For a while, she was the only openly gay player on the U.

Natnal women's soccer team to e out, although you say there were plenty of other women who were gay but not out. You say you were one of the only gay players at the time, which is hilar nsirg how many gay people were really on the team.

RAPINOE: You know, I hontly felt like - I mean, even gog back to when I first sort of disvered I was gay myself, which happened very shortly after I got to llege, I never stggled wh that. I still, to this day, have, you know, people g up to me or wrg to me or whatever may be, you know, thankg me or sayg, you know, I'm the reason they felt OK wh themselv or I'm the reason their fay was OK or, you know, parents g up to me who, you know, very clearly have ltle, buddg gay children.